Food Festivals In Germany To Put On Your Calendar

Mark your calendar and plan your next culinary adventure at these unique food-themed festivals in Germany this year.  

It’s no secret Germans love festivals, and there are thousands each year happening across the country. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the most popular of them are dedicated to food, wine, or beer. While a few others evolving around lesser-known produce are strewn into the mix too.

If you are planning to visit Germany, the chances are hight that there will be a festival taking place near to wherever you are planning to travel, at the time when you are there.

Many of these festivals will evolve around wine; after all there are well over thousand wine festivals across Germany annually. If you have always planned to visit one of the famous German wine festivals, check out this post highlighting some of the most exciting: Here are the best wine festivals to visit in Germany.

However, today I’d like to take you on a journey to explore some of the best or unique food-themed festivals across Germany.

So, mark your calendar and get ready to taste local dishes, and learn about local traditions and stories behind these dishes.

Eight awesome food-themed festivals to visit in Germany

Each year, exciting food-themed festivals are taking place across Germany. From street festivals with food events and food stalls to dedicated gourmet festivals that will require guests to pre-book, with available tickets often limited and higher priced.

Below, I have rounded up some of the most popular and/or unique food-themed festivals you can visit without pre-booking and actually free to attend. Though off course, you will have to pay for your food and drink.

Asparagus Festival Schwetzingen

Known also as Spargelsamstag (asparagus Saturday) the event takes place in the little town of Schwetzingen, near Heidelberg, every first Saturday in May.

The short-lived white asparagus season (from early/mid-April to mid-June) is celebrated with a couple of asparagus festivals across Germany, but Schwetzingen remains one of the most popular.

You can buy asparagus directly from the local farmers, enjoy various traditional asparagus dishes, attend the crowning of the asparagus queen, and visit the local asparagus farms.

In 2025, Spargelsamstag takes place on 3^rd May.

Asparagus Festival Beelitz, Brandenburg

During first weekend in June Beelitz city park is taken over by white asparagus. Over three days, the site attracts thousands of visitors indulging in various asparagus dishes, regional produce, music and other activities. The wide program makes the event particularly perfect for families.

The event dates back to the early days of harvesting asparagus in the region in the 1920s and initially was celebrated to thank the seasonal workers harvesting asparagus on the fields.

Dates for 2025 are 30^th May to 1^st June.

Brezel Festival, Speyer

The famous German Brezel not only has its big moment at the world-famous Oktoberfest. It’s such a loved snack, there is even a whole festival dedicated to this delicious sweet bread.

You can indulge in unlimited Brezels, attend the election of the Brezel queen, the Brezel parade, the Brezel run, and enjoy live music and fireworks during the five-day event.  

While there, don’t miss the Speyer cathedral and beautiful historic old town.

Dates for 2025 are 10^th to 15^th July.

Pumpkin Festival Ludwigsburg

Did you know the world’s largest pumpkin festival takes place in the idyllic town of Ludwigsburg, just a short drive from Stuttgart.

Running over three months from end August to early November, the festival is located on the grounds of Ludwigsburg Palace gardens.

Marvel at pumpkins of all sizes and variations, awesome sculptures shaped with pumpkins following the year’s special topic, take place in the pumpkin boat paddle race on the lake, the pumpkin carving competitions, and above all indulge in the delicious pumpkin dishes served at the event such as pumpkin soup, pumpkin waffles and the locally beloved Maultaschen stuffed with pumpkin.

The Ludwigsburg pumpkin festival is such a marvellous event, I had to include it to this list of great food-themed festivals. Though there is one exception to what I told you earlier here. While there is no special fee for the festival, you will have to pay the regular entrance fee to the Palace gardens (which are open to visitors year-round).

Dates for the 2025 pumpkin festival are 23^rd August to 2^nd November

Wurstmarkt Bad Dürkheim

Translating to sausage festival, this is the world’s largest wine festival. Though as usual, when there is wine, there is also food.

The event dates back to medieval times and for more than 600 years has taken place almost every year (with a few exceptions such as the most recent cancellation during the pandemic). Initially, local farmers and residents would sell food to pilgrims who visited a nearby hilltop chapel for an annual spiritual event.

There will be more than 150 different wines poured at more than 50 different wine stalls and the large wine halls where you will also find a wide selection of local food. In addition, there will be live music, fairground rides, and fireworks. All this taking place in front of the largest wine barrel in the world with a capacity of 1.7 million litres.

Dates for 2025 are 19^th to 22^nd September

Onion Market (Zwiebelmarkt), Weimar

The historic town of Weimer celebrates the three-day annual onion market since 1653. Different onion variations are on display, bundled into beautiful panicles adorned with flowers which you can admire and buy at over 600 stalls.

While the crowning of the onion queen takes place a week ahead of the event already, during the festival there is a large program including live music, a 10-kilometre run, and lots of events for children.

Dates for 2025 are 10^th to 12^th September

Oktoberfest, Munich

You might not know anything about food-themed festivals in Germany, but you will be familiar with Oktoberfest, the two-weeks kermes at Theresienwiesen in Munich.

Often referred to as beer festival, beer is a central point along with matching local food such as suckling pig, pork knuckle, roasted or boiled oxen, Wiener Schnitzel, and on the site potato salad, red cabbage, pickled cabbage, spätzle and much more.

You can of course always opt for wine or other beverages instead of beer. Plus, it’s worth to come and see the opening ceremonies, including the opening parade of the landlord and breweries, the costume and hunters’ parade through the city centre, enjoy live music, or attend the gun salutes on the last day.

Dates for 2025 are 20^th September to 5^th October

Cannstatter Wasen, Stuttgart

The best-known alternative of Oktoberfest that used to be a great alternative to celebrate food and beer without the crowds. While it remains a great festival to visit, its raising popularity over the years means, there are now a lot of people visiting from near and far as well.

The festival evolves mainly around beer and while Germany is proud of its own beers, there is usually a wide range of American beers on offer here too.

Much like Oktoberfest, there will be various festival tents selling beer (and other beverages) and food, fairground rides, a festival parade, and off course live music.

Dates for 2025 are 26^th September to 12^th October

Do you have a favourite food festival you have or want to visit? Let me know in the comments.